1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are related to the field of orthopedic supports, and more particularly, to orthopedic supports having edge binding for increasing comfort and/or support for the wearer during use.
2. Description of Related Art
Current techniques for binding edges for orthopedic braces include, for example, stitching the edges of the brace material to form a seam. However, stitching may potentially loosen or snag, which may result in unraveling of the edges of the brace material. In addition, the stitching seams may be irritating to the skin when improperly secured to the brace material. Furthermore, stitching often requires additional fabrication steps and material that could be avoided, such as applying an extra piece of material along the peripheral edges of the brace material and then using thread to stitch the extra piece of material to the brace material.
Techniques have been developed to utilize flexible or polymeric material to bind the edges of a material to prevent fraying. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,167 to Grim et al. discloses a technique for forming orthopedic supports that includes impregnating the edges of casting material with a non-rigid bonding material, such as a flexible urethane or silicone rubber. The casting material is impregnated with water hardenable material such that the casting material forms a rigid and stiff construction. As a result, the bonding material aids in reducing irritation of the skin and prevents the casting material from fraying.
Moreover, stays or splints, which are used to provide support for the injured joint, are typically inserted within pockets or secured to the brace with additional fabric using stitching and the like. Techniques have been developed to reduce the amount of material and steps to construct an orthopedic support. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,712 to Iglesias et al. discloses orthopedic supports having a flexible sheet material and an exo-skeleton that is molded directly onto the flexible sheet material. The exo-structure is applied by injection molding to stiffen the support. As such, the exo-structure is typically a plastic that melts and permeates into the pores of the sheet material such that the plastic bonds to the sheet material after cooling.
Despite these improvements in reducing fabrication materials and steps, additional innovations in orthopedic supports to promote better comfort and/or support for the wearer are also desired. In particular, although techniques other than stitching have been utilized to bind the edges of material, edge binding that is conducive for orthopedic supports having soft and flexible laminate or non-laminate materials is desired. Moreover, despite methods for stiffening orthopedic supports, improvements in adding stays or splints to stiffen the orthopedic support and provide support for the wearer is desired.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide an orthopedic support that imparts increased comfort and/or support for the wearer. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide an orthopedic support that includes edge binding that is capable of exhibiting rigidity or pliability for various orthopedic applications.